Innermost Thought

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August 02, 2005

Mangina Mike

A few weeks ago, my pal Pru and I went out on the town. By the time we made it back to the bus to make our trek to Weehawken, it was closer to morning than it was to midnight and we were exhausted from being Single in the City. On the bus in the seat behind us was a man named Mike. Mike was a scientist with blond hair, blue eyes and a frame that a Southern lady might call "sturdy". He was a big strapping guy, more than a little out of shape, but he was handsome still, and witty and interesting enough to keep us preoccupied while waiting for the bus to fill up and take us home.

Somehow I managed to get on the bus that night stone cold sober. The same could not be said for Pru and Mike. Shortly in to our conversation, it seemed I was the witness of a potential romance. Pru was flirting outrageously (Mike will forever lament not being able to spell Prudence's middle name for his potential reward was great indeed.) and Mike seemed smitten as well. We all exited the bus at the same street and were tickled to discover just how closely we all lived to one another. But when Prudence turned off towards her house and Mike and I kept walking it looked as if the couple would not have chance to explore this potential new affection. At the last minute Mike asked to exchange information with me so we could all hang out sometime. I obliged thinking this was his attempt at staying in touch with Pru. Perhaps this budding friendship was meant to be something deeper. I felt like a Guardian Angel of Love. Regardless, he seemed a nice guy and it would be good fun to have another friend in our neck of the woods.

Later in the week, I forwarded his info to Pru and soon we were set to meet again. Sadly, Love was not to be. In the garish light of day, Pru realized she had no affection for the man other than the amicable. Beer Goggles had struck again. But at least we had another Weehawken Pal.

One Saturday night soonafter, I had the hookup to a rooftop party of which I invited the lot of us. Me, Pru, her friend, Mike, his roommate JJ, and my pals from my lovely ex, Mr. UK. We had a great night hanging out in the NY skyline, chatting, and marveling at the Empire State Building.

We all were having a great time and it seemed fortune had smiled on us all in widening our circle of friendship. Unfortunately Mike had other thoughts. While I won't say he was hurt...at least overtly, Mike was genuinely frustrated with the turn of things. When he realized that Pru had no romantic interest him, he started putting the smooth on me. There is nothing quite so romantic as a man suddenly smitten when your good friend has just given him the brush off. His roommate, pierced with the love-arrow of a night full of beer and revelry seemed smitten as well. The whole scenario was comical. At one point, they were both overtly flirting at the same time only to have just finished trying to put the smooth on Pru as well. JJ, the roommate, was just funny. He was good-spirited about his futile attempts, very drunk, and not seriously anicipating any results. Mike on the other hand began to sulk.

After I subtlely moved his hand from whence it had no business being, he looked at me dumbfounded and couldn't believe I'd had the gaul. Shortly thereafter he launched into a tirade about refusing to be a woman's "Man-gina" (rhymes with "angina" and is an amalgamation of "Man" and "Vagina"); a man-friend who is emasculated and never seen as a sexual being because he's "one of the girls".

Pru and I thought this was quite funny...and a little odd. We tried to explain to him that being a woman's friend is one of the best ways to meet women, especially in this city. Women and men can be vultures in this city; hardened birds of prey just looking for the next meal. To be someone's friend immediately proves your friend-ly, approachable and worth getting to know. I am much more inclined to date someone if I know they are a friend of my friends. Especially given that he was outside the narrowminded view of what's generally thought as sexy or attractive for a man in this town, and given that he does have a charming personality, Mike should embrace the friendship of women. I have personally introduced more than one friend to a boyfriend/girlfriend and so has Pru. Mike was insistent. No "Mangina Mike" for him. Girls were for dating; he had enough friends.

Mike was still upset about our conversation after we had all walked ourselves to our respective homes later that night. In successive and fervent text messages, he told Pru in no uncertain terms that he didn't want to be friends with her if she didn't want to date him. And that was that.

It's a little unfortunate things had to end so sourly. It would have been fun to hang out with Mike and JJ. In the end Pru and I still laugh about this episode in our sordid NYC History. We do meet some characters. Ironically, this frustrated and lonely man is and will always be known to us as "Mangina Mike".

Posted by mermu at August 2, 2005 12:02 PM

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